Metacognition Seana DeCrosta Jennifer McCallum EDUS 515 Dr. P. Duncan

Metacognition SeanaDeCrosta Jennifer McCallum EDUS 515 Dr. P. Duncan

Overview • Definition • Comte’s Paradox • Metacognitive knowledge • Metacognitive skills • Metacognition in the classroom • Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Research • Metacognitive Strategies

Lecture Wrapper • Listening tips (Cortright, 2012) • On a sheet of paper, list what you think the three most important points of this lecture. • At the end of the lesson, you will hand this in.

What is Metacognition? • Thinking about thinking • Knowing about knowing.

Definitions of Metacognition “… refers to higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning” (Livingston, 1997). “..refers to the ways that people think - the patterns, how we put together the information that we're given.” (McDarby, 1988) “Metacognition is a systematic strategy for solving problems that includes reflecting on and evaluating the productivity of one’s thinking.” (Cardelle-Elawar, 1990).

John H. Flavell • Coined the term “Metacognition” (1979). • His Definition: “the knowledge about and regulation of one’s cognitive activities in learning processes.” (Flavell, 1979; Brown, 1978)

Ponder this: • Most conceptualizations of metacognition have in common that they take the perspective of higher-order cognition about cognition.’’ • There is a higher-order agent overlooking and governing the cognitive system, while simultaneously being part of it. ( (2006) 1: 3–14) Veenman, etal. Metacognition Learning

Comte’s paradox: One cannot split one’s self in two, of whom one thinks whilst the other observes him thinking. (Veenman, etal. Metacognition Learning (2006) 1: 3–14)

Flavell (1979, 1987) metacognitionconsists of : metacognitive knowledge1 metacognitive skills2 1.Metacognition: An Overview, Jennifer A. Livingston

Metacognitive knowledge refers to acquired knowledge about cognitive processes, knowledge that can be used to control cognitive processes. The former refers to a person’s declarative knowledge about the interactions between person, task, and strategy characteristics (Flavell, 1979)

Metacognitive knowledge • “…can be correct or incorrect, and this self-knowledge may be quite resistant to change. For instance, a student may incorrectly think that (s)he invested enough time in preparation for math exams, despite repeated failure (But the teacher made the exams so hard to pass...’’). Such misattributions prevent students from amending their self-knowledge”. (Marcel, et al)

Metacognitive knowledge Flavell further divides into three categories: • knowledge of person variables • task variables and • strategy variables. (Metacognition: An Overview, Jennifer A. Livingston)

Metacognitive knowledge • knowledge of person variables “General knowledge about how human beings learn and process information, as well as individual knowledge of one's own learning processes” ex. Being aware of where “you” should study for “you” learn most effectively. (Metacognition: An Overview, Jennifer A. Livingston)

Metacognitive knowledge • task variables “knowledge about the nature of the task as well as the type of processing demands that it will place upon the individual” Ex. “you may be aware that it will take more time for you to read and comprehend a science text than it would for you to read and comprehend a novel”. (Metacognition: An Overview, Jennifer A. Livingston)

Metacognitive knowledge • strategy variables “knowledge about both cognitive and metacognitive strategies, as well as conditional knowledge about when and where it is appropriate to use such strategies”. Ex. Basically knowing what needs to be done, how “you” might go about doing it, and appropriately applying the right strategy. (Do you agree????) (Metacognition: An Overview, Jennifer A. Livingston)

Metacognitive Skills “…a person’s declarative knowledge about the interactions between person, task, and strategy characteristics” • “…have a feedback mechanism built-in. Either you are capable of planning your actions ahead and task performance progresses smoothly, or you don’t and your actions go astray.” (Marcel Et al)

What is metacognition in the classroom? • Actively regulating one’s own thinking and acquisition/comprehension of new knowledge • Learning strategies • Study strategies • Metacognition is a series of learned behaviors that can be (and need to be) taught. • These behaviors are often interpreted as intelligence. (Parker)

Students must: • Recognize the task’s level of difficulty • Implement a learning strategy • underlining, note-taking, summarizing, and self-questioning • Self-evaluate and self-regulate • Am I satisfied with my work and with what I learned? (Parker)

Cognitive Strategy Instruction • An instructional approach that prioritizes teaching thinking skills to help students become self-sufficient learners • Believes that certain cognitive strategies are superior to others in helping students remember and retain information • Exemplified by best and brightest (Parker)

Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Teach students metacognitive strategies and how to monitor their efforts • Teach students when to use each strategy • Practice is essential!

Research • Can giftedness be taught • Norbert Jausovec, 2004 • Conclusion: Teaching metacognitive strategies (when and how to use them) improves problem-solving performance. • Effects of metacognitive feedback on mathematical problem solving • Maria Cardelle-Elawar, 1990 • Bilingual, low-performing Hispanic students • Conclusion: Teachers providing metacognitive feedback on students’ tests helps them to think through their error and self-correct in the future.

Metacognitive Activities • Simple Processes • underlining, outlining, note taking, summarizing, self-questioning • More elaborate • hierarchical summaries, conceptual maps, thematic organizers, and metaphorical thinking • SQ3R • Wrap around • Think-aloud (Parker)

Lecture Wrapper • Please review your list and choose three things that you thought were the most important. • The three most important things: • After three lecture wrappers, student responses increasingly matched the instructor's: 45% the first time, 68% the second time, and 75% the third • Metacognitive knowledge is “thinking about thinking.” It is also one’s ability to self-regulate and monitor their thinking. • Metacognition must be taught and practiced. (Lovett, 2008)

What do you see? (Linda, 2011)

How many faces do you see? (Linda, 2011)

Conclusion • Definition • Comte’s Paradox • Metacognitive knowledge • Metacognitive skills • Metacognition in the classroom • Cognitive Strategy Instruction • Research • Metacognitive Strategies

Questions?

Thank you!

Works Cited • Cardelle-Elawar, M. M. (1990). Effects of feedback tailored to bilingual students' mathematics needs on verbal problem solving. Elementary School Journal, 91(2), 165. • Cortright, S. M. (2012). iamnext.com. Retrieved from http://powertochange.com/students/people/listen/ • Jausovec, N. (1994). Can giftedness be taught?. Roeper Review, 16(3), 210. • Linda, B. (2011, August 1). Illusions. Retrieved from http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/index.htm • Livingston, J. (1997). University of buffalo. Retrieved from http://gse.buffalo.edu/fas/shuell/CEP564/Metacog.htm • Lovett, M. (2008). Teaching metacognition. Retrieved from http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/metacognition/teaching_metacognition.html • McDarby, M. (1988). Labratory exercises: Metacognition. Retrieved from http://faculty.fmcc.suny.edu/mcdarby/Pages/Lab Exercises/Metacog.htm • Parker, J. (n.d.). The role of metacognition in the classroom. Retrieved from http://faculty.mwsu.edu/west/maryann.coe/coe/Projects/epaper/meta.htm

Metacognition Seana DeCrosta Jennifer McCallum EDUS 515 Dr. P. Duncan